Early holiday draws crowds

Sunday

Jun 29, 2008 at 7:30 AM

By Bill Fortier TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF

Hundreds of people attended yesterday’s annual Independence Day celebration.

Spectators started picking their favorite viewing sites about an hour before the parade stepped off from St. Joseph’s Church, with Police Chief William A. Whynot and Deputy Fire Chief Stephen M. Coleman leading the way in a Fire Department SUV.

The parade featured numerous civic groups, as well as state Rep. Paul K. Frost, R-Auburn, and state Senate candidates Douglas Belanger, John Lebeaux and Michael Moore, who passed out nail files with his name on them. The procession ended at Lemansky Park, where a traditional summer fare of hot dogs, cheeseburgers, fried dough and french fries was served. The event was topped off at dusk with a 20-minute fireworks display.

United Soccer of Auburn, which had a banner saying it “kicks back to Auburn,” had a busy booth that featured a silent auction, in which the top bidder would get to throw out the first pitch at a Worcester Tornadoes game. United Soccer is teaming with the town’s Department of Recreation and Culture to raise funds for the proposed Pakachoag Meadows playing fields.

People were lined up at a booth run by Boy Scout Troop 101, which was selling food. A booth to benefit a kennel renovation project also saw some action.

The early celebration of Independence Day raised some eyebrows and led to some comments in town. However, by midafternoon it was obvious that more people attended than in previous years, when the event was on a day closer to the holiday.

Event organizer Wayne C. Page said he thought more people attended yesterday because it was one of the only holiday events in the area.

“I’m very pleased with the number of people we have,” Mr. Page said as drivers circled the Daniel S. Horgan Memorial Skating Rink parking lot.

The changeable weather caused some nervous moments for the fireworks crew from Atlas Pyrovision Productions of Jaffrey, N.H.

Just before the 11 a.m. parade, the wind shifted and a light drizzle mixed with the fog. Meanwhile, the sun shined brightly in nearby Charlton.

Mr. Page and Chief Whynot huddled with Atlas representatives, including local resident and lead technician Rockwood “Rocky” Cataldo, about 1 p.m. to see if it would be possible to shoot off approximately 600 fireworks. After studying the weather forecast, the decision was made to proceed with the show. Mr. Page said shortly after the meeting that if bad weather threatened, the $6,800 worth of explosives could be set off early.

Mr. Cataldo, who said he has been with Atlas for 12 years, said wind and lightning are the two major factors that determine if a fireworks show will go off.